Short answer
In Hatfield Township, no fence may extend past the front building line of the house, and fences in side and rear yards can be up to 6 ft. On corner and other multi-frontage lots, a fence up to 4 ft may go in a front yard that doesn’t hold the front door, if it’s set at least 5 ft back from the ultimate right-of-way. We haven’t confirmed the township’s permit process, so we check it for each job.
| Rule | What the code says |
|---|---|
| Front yard | No fence or wall beyond the front building line of the lot. |
| Side and rear yards | Up to 6 ft in any required open space. |
| Corner and multi-frontage lots | Up to 4 ft in the front yard(s) that don’t contain the main entrance, set back at least 5 ft from the ultimate right-of-way. |
| Reverse-frontage lots | Rear-yard fences at least 5 ft from the street right-of-way and no more than 6 ft high. |
| Easements | No fence in an easement benefiting Hatfield Township without written permission from that agency and the Township. |
| Sight lines | No fence, wall or planting may block views at or near intersections, road and railroad crossings, or curves (no fixed distance stated). |
| Pools | Not in front yards; pool, deck and equipment at least 10 ft from side and rear property lines. No township pool-fence standard found. |
| Prohibited | No material bans found. |
| Permit | Not confirmed. The code sections we read don’t state a fence permit requirement. |
From Hatfield Township Zoning § 282-201A and § 282-202B(2).
Where a fence can go on a Hatfield Township lot
The front building line rule is the big one. Whatever the style, the fence starts at the front corners of the house, or behind them, and runs back. That rules out a decorative picket along the front walk, which some neighboring codes allow at 3 or 4 ft. Behind that line, the 6 ft limit fits a standard privacy fence in vinyl or wood.
Corner lots and lots that back onto a road
If your lot faces two streets, the code gives you some room on the side that isn’t the front door. A fence up to 4 ft can go in that second front yard, as long as it stays at least 5 ft back from the ultimate right-of-way. The ultimate right-of-way is often wider than the paved road and sidewalk suggest, so we measure from the recorded line, not the curb.
Reverse-frontage lots, where the back yard faces a road, can have a rear fence up to 6 ft, kept at least 5 ft from the street right-of-way.
Easements, crossings and the rail line
Hatfield Township won’t let a fence sit in an easement that benefits the township unless both the agency holding it and the Township give written permission. Get that letter before ordering material, not after the fence is in.
The sight-line rule names road and railroad crossings as well as intersections and curves. SEPTA’s Lansdale/Doylestown Line runs through the township, with stops at Fortuna, Colmar and Link Belt, so lots near a grade crossing need the same care as a street corner. The code doesn’t give a distance, so the township decides case by case.
Pools
The zoning code keeps private pools out of front yards and sets the pool, deck and equipment at least 10 ft from side and rear property lines. We didn’t find a separate township pool-fence standard, so the barrier is built to the state code: at least 48 in tall with self-closing, self-latching gates.
Hatfield Township or Hatfield Borough?
Hatfield Borough is a separate municipality with its own code; this page covers only the township. In our service area, township homes mostly have Lansdale 19446 mailing addresses. The township takes in villages such as Line Lexington, Unionville and Trewigtown, and the Oak Park Historic District, which is on the National Register. The West Branch Neshaminy Creek is its main stream. Our Lansdale area page lists every municipality that shares the ZIP.
What we haven’t confirmed
- Whether a fence needs a township permit, the fee and the application process. The township website wasn’t reachable when we checked.
- Any finished-side, material, barbed-wire or electric-fence rule.
- A sight-triangle distance.
We checked Hatfield Township’s zoning code in October 2026. Codes change, so we confirm with the zoning office before every install, and for this township that includes asking whether a permit is needed. See PA fence permits for nearby municipalities, or ask us to mark the front building line on your lot at the estimate.
Common questions
Can I put a fence in my front yard in Hatfield Township?
Not ahead of the front building line of the house. The one exception is a corner or multi-frontage lot, where a fence up to 4 ft can go in a front yard that doesn’t hold the front door, at least 5 ft back from the ultimate right-of-way.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Hatfield Township?
The zoning sections we read don’t say. We confirm with the township before every job and file whatever it requires.